Roopa Nagori,

1
Evaluation of a new learning strategy through
Peer Coaching and Reflection

• Roopa Nagori,
• Training Consultant,
• DICE Consulting

2
Introduction

• Recent changes in policies -Increasing pressure
  on budgets for staff development in educational
  institutes (The Guardian News, 2010)
• The potential of formalising Peer Coaching for
  educators is relatively unexploited
• The researcher applies the Joyce and Showers CPD
  Model for Coaching (Joyce Showers, 1996)to
  formalise mutual peer development practices at a
  UK Further Education College.

3
What is Peer Coaching?

• A collegial process -faculty members voluntarily
  work together to improve or expand their
  approaches to teaching
• A co-operative endeavour that promotes the
  interest of those involved (Browne ,2006.)
• The main objective is planning and developing
  curriculum and instruction to achieve the goals
  of courses and institutes.
• Not a traditional or conservative mentoring
  process!

4
Using Joyce and Showers model for Peer Coaching

• Peer coaching refers
• to the traditional
• supervisory mode of pre-conference/
• observation/
• post-conference
• ( Joyce Showers,1996)
• It should not be confused with, or used for,
  evaluation
• of teachers.

A CPD model for Peer Coaching based on Joyce and
Showers research (LSIS, 2009)
5
An Innovative Implementation of Joyce and Showers
Peer Coaching Model

• Commonly, peer coaching teams utilise a process
  involving three major steps
• Consultation to identify the focus of the
  coaching
• Observation of practice,
• Debriefing session where the coach shares his or
  her observations.
• Some teams may not use classroom observation, but
  instead review instructional materials or grading
  practices (Huston Weaver, 2008).

6
The Action Research Project

• The author attempted an application of the
  underpinning theory of peer coaching in the
  implementation of a new learning strategy.
• Aim
• To investigate if Peer Coaching can be used as a
  professional development tool for faculties
  across the institute
• To recommend guiding principles to exploit its
  potential to improve teaching and learning.

7
Methodology

• In a particular course involving 30 students ,
  providing formative feedback for individual
  presentations was becoming challenging.
• A Peer Coaching initiative was designed as an
  intervention to engage the other two tutors with
  the new learning strategy.
• The process was implemented based on the theory
  of Peer coaching (Joyce Showers, 1996)

8
Findings from the action research project

• Data included teachers coaching logs and written
  reflections on the coaching experience.
• Main findings
• The tutors were keen to continue their
  partnerships after the experiment on a regular
  basis, provided the time and support in terms of
  training and funding would be considered.
• One tutor suggested Why not include this as a
  formal professional development activity across
  the department?

9
Validating the findings

• In an attempt to formalise Peer Coaching as a
  regular feature of staff development at the
  institute, the researcher engaged in further
  studies.
• The researcher conducted quantitative research in
  three departments of the college using an on-line
  questionnaire.
• Two senior members of management were interviewed
  for their opinions on the strategic aspects of
  peer practice planning. Main findings from the
  qualitative research follow.

10
Findings from the primary research
Q Which of the following best describes the
field in which you received your highest degree?
11
Q. Select the benefits of peer practice and
include any others

• Sharing best practice
• Shadowing experienced tutor
• Opportunity to observe a new teaching method
• Collaboration to develop course resources
• Developing new teaching and learning strategies
• Increased self-confidence/self-development
• Innovation on courses
• /Facilitating change
• Developing new assessment techniques

12
Q. Select the challenges in formalising or
recording Peer Practice
Logistics
Unavailability of peers
Restricted time
Finding and matching time to peer's schedule
Difficult to arrange meetings pre and post implementation of new practice
Limited skills in coaching
Limited knowledge of peer practice
13
Q. Which technologies are possible options to
facilitate peer coaching sessions?

• Skype
• Google groups
• Linked in
• E-mail
• Intranet

14
Discussion-Implications for practice

• Tutors believe that peer coaching should be
  experienced as an organised activity, while some
  tutors hold that it takes place informally at any
  time or anywhere.
• Scheduling difficulties and lack of time appeared
  to be highly rated as potential challenges in the
  use of Peer Practice.
• Investment in training and support in terms of
  allocating time for Peer Coaching was highly
  rated as a possible means to strengthen its use
  amongst the college faculty.
• The potential to use technology such as Skype and
  Google Groups was a recurring recommendation.

15
Recommendations An Innovative program for staff
development

• The pilot Peer Coaching project demonstrated that
  the coaching sessions facilitated better
  implementation and evaluation of the new learning
  strategy
• Based on the review of the literature and the
  above opinions, the author proposes guidelines to
  incorporate peer coaching sessions as a regular
  institution-wide practice.

16

The process for peer coaching should consider the
following guiding principles

• Professional Autonomy- The control must belong to
  the individual staff members being coached
• Voluntary Participation-The program must be
  voluntary for both the coach and the colleague
• Self-evaluative and reflective-Main aim of the
  practice is to stimulate a more reflective and
  dialogic approach to development
• Formative Evaluation- A peer coaching program
  should be used for formative and developmental
  purposes of staff rather than for summative
  evaluation purposes
• Manageable in terms of time- It should be
  factored into the non-teaching aspect of work
  load planning.

17
Process to be followed in the
coaching sessions

• Coaching Session 1 The first session is to
  discuss the focus of the peer practice.
  Discussions could be recorded on the Peer
  Practice Form.
• Coaching Session 2 The second meeting is the
  peer practice discussion or observation. Where
  this is not a classroom observation, the second
  meeting may take the form of a demonstration of
  on-line resources, a design of a particular
  curriculum or particular assessment strategies
  etc.
• Coaching Session 3 This may take place
  immediately following session 2.This is the
  opportunity for both parties to reflect on the
  observation and discussion that took place.

18
The reporting mechanisms in Peer Coaching

• Essentially Peer Practice and Peer Coaching is a
  confidential process that occurs between peers
  -only expectation is to confirm that faculty
  members have engaged in it at least once a year ,
  using the Peer Practice Form.
• Staff members could be encouraged to discuss the
  coaching experiences within their Performance
  Development Review interviews to agree a personal
  development need.

19
The reporting mechanisms in Peer Coaching

• An appointed administrator could then report the
  key data from the completed forms to the Head of
  Departments annually.
• Some examples of the key datahere are proportion
  of staff completing at least one Peer Coaching
  round in that year, areas of good practice
  highlighted in the department and key
  developmental needs in the department.
• Head of departments could then ensure that this
  data is fed into the annual evaluative processes.

20
Conclusions

• Peer coaching program can engage faculty members
  in problem-based, contextualised opportunities to
  reflect on teaching and learning.
• When faculty members have an opportunity to
  participate voluntarily in confidential, trusting
  partnerships with experienced colleagues,
  conversation are focused on development in their
  own teaching environments.
• The role of technology in enhancing the coaching
  experience could be investigated further, to
  generate collective decisions that enhance
  institute -wide improvement efforts.

21
References

• Ackland, R. (1991).A review of the peer coaching
  literature. Journal of Staff Development,12(1),
  22-6.
• Aderibigbe, S. A. Ajasa, F. A. (2013). Peer
  Coaching as an institutionalised tool for
  professional development. Journal of Workplace
  Learning, 25 (2),125-140.
• Argyris, C. (2009). Handbook for Professional
  Training Programme for Subject Learning Coaches.
  Retrieved December 16, 2010, from LSIS
  www.subjectlearningcoach.net
• Bell, A., Mladenovic, R. (2008).The benefits of
  peer observation of teaching for tutor
  development. Higher Education,55,735752.
• Browne, L. (2006), Proposing a proximal principle
  between peer coaching and staff development
• as a driver for transformation.International
  Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring,
  
• 4(1),31-44.
• GP Strategies Ltd.(2013).GPStrategiesCoaching.Ret
  rieved April 10, 2013, from GP Strategies
  http//www.gpstrategiesltd.com/services/coaching/
• Jewett, P., MacPhee, D. (2012).A dialogic
  conception of learning collaborative peer
  coaching. International Journal of Mentoring and
  Coaching in Education,1(1),12 - 23.
• Lofthouse, R. M., and Leat, D.(2013).An Activity
  Theory Perspective on Peer Coaching.
  International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching
  in Education,2(1).
• Marshall, B.(2004). Learning from the Academy
  From Peer Observation of Teaching to Peer
  Enhancement of Learning and Teaching. Journal of
  Adult Theological Education, 1(2), 185-204.
• QAA.,(2005).Outcomes from institutional
  auditStaff support and development arrangements.
  Retrieved April 2, 2013, from Quality Assurance
  Agency for Higher Education http//www.qaa.ac.uk/
  Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/outc
  omesstaffsupport.pdf
• Rhodes, C., Stokes, M., and Hampton, G. (2004).A
  Practical Guide to Mentoring, Coaching and Peer
  Networking-Teacher Professional Development in
  Schools and Colleges. London Routledge Falmer.
• Shank, M.J. (2005).Mentoring among high school
  teachers a dynamic and reciprocal group
• process. Mentoring and Tutoring,13(1),73-82.
• Showers, B. Joyce, B. (1996). The Evolution of
  Peer Coaching. Educational Leadership,53(6),12-16.
  
• The Guardian News (2010). Where the cuts are
  likely to fall in education. Retrieved April 24,
  2013, from The Guardian http//www.guardian.co.uk
  /education/2010/may/21/cuts-education?INTCMPSRCH
• Weaver, T. Carol, H.(2008). Peer Coaching
  Professional Development for Experienced Faculty.
  Innovative Higher Education,33,5-20.